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About the Awards

The Yoto Carnegies are the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people.

The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people.

The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

Unique in that they are judged solely by librarians, the roll-call of past winners includes: Arthur Ransome, C.S. Lewis, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, Noel Streatfeild, Sally Gardner and Elizabeth Acevedo for the Carnegie Medal for Writing; and Raymond Briggs, Shirley Hughes, Janet Ahlberg, and Children’s Laureates Quentin Blake, Anthony Browne, Chris Riddell and Lauren Child for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration, formerly known as the Kate Greenaway Medal.

A national (and international) reading for pleasure initiative, the Yoto Carnegie Shadowing Scheme engages thousands of children and young people in reading the books on the shortlist via reading groups in schools and public libraries with dedicated educational reading resources and promotional materials to support each shortlist. Each year young people who take part in the scheme are invited to vote for their favourite books to win the Shadowers’ Choice Awards, which are announced alongside the Medal winners at the annual winners’ ceremony. The Medals are awarded annually by CILIP, the library and information association and the Youth Libraries Group with longlists announced in February, shortlists in March and the winners announced at a ceremony in June.

The Awards mission is: To champion librarians to inspire and empower the next generation to create a better world through books and reading.